Anything BUT a Card for Papr Players #157

Helllooooo there! This week at the Paper Players, I am hosting our theme challenge. I went with a Fall Theme, WITH A TWIST.Get your "INK-ing" caps on...because we would love for you to share your creativity by making anything BUT a card this week. 

For my project, I decided to use the Tag-a-Box Bundle from Stampin' Up! This is such a cool kit (#131372) and comes with 8 boxes and accessories to create fabulous gifts. This is an awesome kit and at $12.50 for 8 boxes with supplies, it is a great value, too.

Can I tell you a secret? The box in this kit fits two "baby" Yankee Candle jars perfectly. I learned that while trying to come up with an idea for my project this week. How fun is this for a hostess gift? Seriously...what a fun gift to bring to a dinner party, or for a birthday, thank you...or to just tell a special friend they are awesome!

I used a retired stamp set (Day of Gratitude) for my project. This is one of my favorite stamp sets EVER. No, it isn't current but this set just says "fall" to me. I use it often.

Here is a shot of the inside of the box, filled with FALL fragrances: (Apple Pie and Pomegranate Cider) I created the "shred" by running colored card stock through my crimping tool and then sending it through the electric shredder. Afterwards, I scrunched it up in my hand. It's a simple way to use your scraps and add some color.

Here is another shot of the gift box. The colors are a little non-traditional but with a sponge and some Crumb Cake ink, it is easy to add some "distressed detail" to a project. The label and the mini clothespin came with the box kit. I traced one of the tags from the kit onto Crumb Cake card stock then cut it out, embossed and distressed it a bit. I added a little pop of Champagne Glimmer Paper for fun. All of the supplies used are listed at the end of the post.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, August 9th, 2013 at Noon (PDT). Stop by and say hello to the rest of the Design Team to see what they are sharing this week.   

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

One more thing before I go. I wanted to share our foster pup, Violet. She was pulled from euthanasia at the local shelter and will be headed to her new home in Illinois mid-August. She is gorgeous and only 7 months old. They guess her to be a mix of German Shepherd and Australian Kelpie. Either way, she is stinkin' CUTE and so far has been a wonderful house guest!!  

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Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Day of Gratitude (ret.) 

Paper: Epic Day This and That DSP, Champagne Glimmer Paper, Wild Wasabi (I KNOW Gumball Green is in the paper but I wanted a softer look), Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla card stock 

Ink: Calypso Coral, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake Classic Ink

Punches: Scallop Edge Border Punch

Accessories: Chevron Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Naturals Designer Buttons, Natural 7/16" Trim, Basic Pearls, Stamping Sponges, Sticky Strip and Stampin' Dimensionals

Kit: Tag a Box Bundle (#131372), Crushed Curry Baker's Twine, Mini Clothespin, label and tag 

Day of Gratitude for {PP #121}

Hello there stamping friends! Well, better late then never with this post. So sorry! This week at the Paper Players, I am the hostess and I have a fab fall color combo to try out. I love the richness of these colors together and I hope you do too. Please join us!

I also used the layout from Retro Sketches for inspiration on my card. 

This is such a fun sketch...I'm loving those scalloped edges. 

With a few (*wink, wink*) layers, some embossing and the Scallop Border Punch, I got to work. As soon as I decided on these colors, I knew I was going to use the Day of Gratitude stamp set. There is something about the fall season and that stamp set that just fit. Like peanut butter and jelly..like pink and glitter...well, you get the idea. My fussy-cut leaves probably should have been sponged around the edges but I was already late with my card, so I decided to press on. Finaly, I added a couple of pearls because...well, why NOT?!

I hope you will join us this week at the Paper Players! Please stop by and see what the rest of the awesome gals on the Design Team have whipped up with this color trio. 

The Paper Players Design Team

Amy White

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfeld

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Because I have had a few emails about the shelter dogs, I wanted to post a few photos of some of the awesome pups that have been SAVED over the past week. Although it is tough to visit and photograph some of these babies that do not make it...the success stories make my heart smile! I am so blessed to have had this opportunity, thanks to my amazing friend, Kelly. She is one of the most wonderful people you will ever meet and her passion for these animals is amazing. 

This gorgeous Boxer girl was rescued and I am so happy. She recently had a litter of pups and desperately needed a break. 

 Here is Bruno! Look at those eyes! Such a loving boy! 

Finally, this is Reggie! I didn't post the photos that show how starved he is. They are pretty graphic. Let's just say this guy stands above my waist and is probably half of the weight he should be.  He is such an amazing boy, so full of love despite everything he has gone through. This dude had my heart and I wasn't going to be content until he was saved. Thankfully the S.A. Humane Society stepped up for him. I just love this pup! 

Day of Gratitude Thanks for {DD#19}

Hey, hey..it's Saturday! Where did the week go? Yikes...I need a couple of days back. How about you?  Never-the-less, it IS Saturday and time for another fab color combo at Dynamic Duos. This week, we are going subtle with a couple of rich and regal colors: Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke. Admittedly, NOT my two most favorite colors ever, but you know what? They really look awesome together!! 

I used the sketch from Fab Friday Challenge as the inspiration for my card layout. My blogging buddy, Mindy, just started her challenge blog and I couldn't wait to play along. 

I'm excited that it is almost fall...well, that is the case for anywhere OTHER then South Texas. So as we experience our "cool front" this weekend in the low 90-degrees, I will live vicariously through those of you that really ARE experiencing the start of the fall season. *said with a hint of jealousy*

You know how you have a few stamp sets that you will always gravitate toward? The Day of Gratitude set is one of those sets for me. I love how those images look stamped in ANY color. For my card, I fussy-cut the leaves. I also sponged ink on the edges to cover-up my poor cutting skills. Lol! I listed all of the supplies for this card at then end of the post, if you are interested.

Before I sign off, I wanted to share one of the reasons why I have been missing from the blogging world recently. Along with recovering from foot surgery, my husband and I decided earlier this week to foster a kitten from a local shelter. I will share her story in an upcoming post...trust me, you will want to have some tissues handy. But until then, let me introduce: Miss Abby! 

The cuteness is at a ridiculous level with this little 7-week-old furball...who eats a LOT!

Please stop by and visit the Dynamic Duos challenge this week and try out this fabby color combo. The rest of the gals on the Design Team have created some awesome projects for inspiration, as well. Stop by and say hello. The challenge closes Thursday, September 13, 2012 at Noon (PST).  

The Dynamic Duos Designers:

Allisa Chilton

Allyson Anderson (GD)

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Karen Aicken (GD)

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Michelle Bala (GD)

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Have a very HAPPY day! :)

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Day of Gratitude and Full of Life (inside sentiment, retired)

Paper: Regals DSP Paper Pad, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke and River Rock card stock

Ink: Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke Classic ink

Accessories: Finishing Touches Die, Bitty Banners Die, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Stamping Sponges, Basic Pearls, Natural Buttons (Holiday Catalog), Hemp Twine and Stampin' Dimensionals

Pumpkin Pie for Our Creative Corner

Hi there and Happy Saturday to you! This week at Our Creative Corner, the lovely Wendy Janson is our "hostess with the mostest" and boy, does she have a fun challenge for us!

CHALLENGE:  Who doesn't look forward to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving?!  Well Thanksgiving is soon approaching and with the anticipation of pumpkin pie, the challenge this week is to create a project using pumpkins or the color pumpkin pie as the focal point or main color of your project!

I decided to make a pumpkin AND use the Pumpkin Pie color on my card. You can never have TOO much pumpkin-anything at this time of year, I say. I embossed the card stock with the Houndstooth embossing folder, then punched out three Large Ovals to create my punched pumpkin. I added some fall foliage to dress it up, using the leafy branch from the Bird Builder punch. The Color Spritzer and Stamping Sponges came out of their hiding spaces, to add some distressing to the edges. The sentiment is from the Day of Gratitude stamp set. Finally I added some bling to the card and the leaves. 

I also used some new burlap "ribbon" that I snagged from the lovely Linda Coughlin's (from the OCC team) Etsy shop. The twine on the pumpkin was actually part of the packaging that wrapped up the ribbon. Waste not! Now, I do not even have one OUNCE of the creative talent Linda has, but I tried to channel a teeny-tiny bit of her awesomeness while creating this card. :) 

Here is the inside of the card, using a retired rub-on image to add some flair: 

Thanks for stopping by! I sure hope you will pop by the Our Creative Corner site and see what the rest of the DT has created this week for inspiration. It would be awesome if you would play along with our Pumpkin Pie challenge, too. Hope to see you there! :) 


Have a HAPPY day! :)

Paper Players Fall Blog Hop

Looking for the Our Creative Corner post? Please CLICK HERE!

Happy Saturday everyone!  If you have been to the Paper Players Blog, you will know we are having a blog hop!  Everyone on the hop is celebrating a fall project on their blog and some of us have blog candy to share! So be sure to check out each blog.The list is at the end of the post. 

For my card, I went to my trusty fall favorite set: Day of Gratitude. I know, I tend to use this set a LOT this time of year but I really like the amount of ink it holds for those clean and bold images. Pair it up with some Spice Cake DSP and it's a "Fall-tastic" duo! 

I kept my layout pretty clean to let the colors and textures take the stage. Lately, I seem to be fixated on polka dots, so they made their way onto this card with the ribbon and the embossing folder. 

 Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card: 

***WAIT, did somebody say BLOG CANDY??***

In honor of the Paper Players Fall Hop I have some goods to give away. I will ship anywhere on the planet, too...so no matter where you live, you are eligible. 

Included in my "goods" will be: 

• a "Hi & Hello" wood mount stamp set (ret.)
• a full roll of Alpine felt ribbon (ret.)
• Candy Lane DSP (cut into 6x6 squares)
• a handmade card...or two, from my stash
• other crafty treats to fill the box up...some may be SU!, some may not be...but I am committed to filling all the space in the shipping box with treats! 

(although there are a few readers who would like me to send a Maine Coon cat or a Schnauzer...unfortunately, they are NOT up for grabs this round. But their behavior is on a slippery slope, you might have a crack at them really soon! Stay tuned!)

****So HOW DO YOU WIN?*** 

Simple...just leave me a happy comment. If you want a bonus entry, then all you have to do is hop on over to ALL of the blogs on the hop and leave them a comment. Stop back here and let me know that you did, and you will get another entry. You have until November 5th to register for the give-away! I will be doing a random drawing for a winner that day. Of course, if you would like to become a follower, that would be awesome and would make my day....but it's NOT required to win! :) 

Here is the Blog Hop list (in order)...click the names to hop on over to see what everyone has created for the fall season: 

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Cindy Hall

Jaydee

Julie Marshall

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Rita Wright

Tara Bilbao

This week at the Paper Players the lovely Ann is hosting our challenge:

We sure hope you will join us and play along. Please click HERE to visit Cindy's Blog.  She's next on the list of fall hip-hoppers. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!



Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Day of Gratitude
Paper: Spice Cake DSP, More Mustard, Pool Party, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Pool Party, Early Espresso and More /mustard Classic Stampin' Pad
Accessories: 1- 1/4" Square punch, 1- 3/8" Square punch, Small oval punch (ret.), Large Oval punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, Chocolate Chip 12" Scallop Dots ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Rich Regals Botton Assortment, Natural Hemp Twine, Basic Pearls and Stampin' Dimensionals

Paper Players #67 - Jaydee's Fall Colors

Hello and Happy Sunday to you! This week at The Paper Players, the lovely and talented Jaydee has created a fab Fall color combo to get inspired for the season. 

Although, just yesterday, I mentioned how I struggle with the Cajun Craze color. I decided to make amends for this challenge and get my inner- "Cajun Crazy" ON! Lol! I was inspired by the sketch over at Twisted Sketches. This layout was so unique, I really wanted to give it a go! 

This card was also very inspired by my fellow Paper Player pal, Nance Leedy.  I used the Floral Fusion Sizzix Die to create the layered flowers and also layered a stamped image behind the sentiment, which is something that Nance does regularly for that extra "wow"-factor to her cards. I love the look! Thanks Nance, you already know I am a huge fan of yours...but this just confirms it! ;)

I used some retired Autumn Spice DSP on this one (as it was already sitting on my desk) because it was a perfect fit for the color combo. I sponged some Cajun Craze ink around all of the edges for some added pop, along with a layer of textured card stock. This card is pretty "bulky", but that's ok. Chunky cards may cost a little more to mail, but they are REALLY fun to open! Ha ha! 

Here is quick shot of the decorated inside of the card: 

Please stop by and visit the Paper Players Design Team to see what the gals have created with these fabulous colors. Their cards are awesome, as always! We sure hope you will play along this week with YOUR creation, too! 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Julie Marshall

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a HAPPY day today! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Day of Gratitude
Paper: Autumn Spice DSP (ret.) , Bravo Burgundy, Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Bravo Burgundy Classic ink 
Accessories: XL Oval punch, Decorative Label punch, Hemp Twine, Floral Fusion Sizzix Die, Bitty Punch Pack, Basic Pearls, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Multipurpose Liquid Glue and Stamping Sponges

Our Creative Corner - Fall Color Challenge

Hello there and Happy SUPER Saturday to you! :) After a crazy week, I am finally back in creative action and ready to share the latest challenge over at Our Creative Corner. This week, the lovely Lori Rider is our hostess and she has whipped up a fabulous fall color combo to try out. 

Now, I will be the first to admit, that ANY color combo with Cajun Craze tends to scare me a little. I don't really know WHY but that color and I just tend to disagree with each other. It's not quite orange, it's kind of rusty...I just never seem to reach for this color. So, this was a bit of a challenge for me, indeed. I also couldn't figure out how to sneak that Pool Party in with all of these rich autumn colors. Gah! After deciding on the Day of Gratitude stamp set, I thought I would add the color as a shadow around the "falling" leaves. It didn't seem like quite enough, so I decided to tie it in with another layer. You can never have TOO many layers, right? 

I unearthed some (ret.) Autumn Spice DSP for this one and updated it with the Houndstooth embossing folder for added texture. It's a fairly clean card, but those leaves are so pretty on their own, I didn't want them to get lost in an overly "busy" card. I added a pop of pearls and some ribbon to finish it off. 

Hop on over to Our Creative Corner to see what the rest of the Design Team has created with this cool color combo. They really created some GREAT projects this week, as always. (...because they are awesome!) We sure hope you will play along with us. We can't wait to see what you do with the colors! 

Thanks SO much for visiting! Have a very HAPPY day today! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Day of Gratitude
Paper: Autumn Spice DSP (ret.), Cajun Craze, Chocolate c/hip, Pool Party, Old Olive and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Classic ink
Accessories: 1- 1/4" Square punch, 1- 3/8" Square punch, Small Oval punch (ret.), Large Oval punch, Houndstooth Embossing folder, Pool Party Stampin' Write /marker, Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallop Dot ribbon, Stamping Sponges (around the embossed DSP), Stampin' Dimensinals and basic Pearls

Paper Players Challenge #60- CAS Sketch Challenge

Hello there! It's Sunday and that means it's time for another FUN challenge over at the Paper Players!! This week, LeAnne is our "hostess with the most-est" and she has whipped up this fabulous sketch to play along with. We hope you will ink up some stamps and play along with your clean and simple (CAS) design this week! 

I have to admit, when I was first constructing this card, I did NOT let the Clean & Simple  RULE register. I created another card...really heavy on the bling...that was abandoned, last minute, for this challenge. When it came to a CAS card, I immediately turned to the new Button Buddies stamp set, SHOCKING, huh?? This set has been my "go-to" set since it arrived on my doorstep. I know I said I was going to give it a rest...BUT, it's too cute not to ink up. I use this set entirely TOO much! Ugh!! 


I added some Pumpkin Pie brads (ret.) to my pumpkins. Ever though they are retired, these Corduroy Button/Brad accents are one of my all-time favorites. So much texture and dimension at one time! All the layers on the card are popped up and I kept the ribbon treatment simple on this one. The sentiment is heat embossed for added shine. 

Here is the simply decorated inside of the card: 

Thanks for visiting today! Please hop on over to the Paper Players and see what the rest of the DT have created this week. 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (that's ME!)

Jaydee

Lauri Ingram

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Sandra Azzopardi
Carrie Gaskin GD

Have a great day! :) 



Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Button Buddies and Day of Gratitude
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Chocolate Chip craft ink, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip classic ink
Accessories: Houndstooth Embossing folder, Old /olive 1- 1/4" Striped grosgrain ribbon (ret), Pumpkin Pie Corduroy brads (ret.), 1- 1/4" Circle punch, 1- 3/8" Circle punch, Clear Embossing powder, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive & Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Markers, Glue Dots, Heat Tool and Stampin' Dimensionals